HOOVER, Ala. - When the University of Arkansas contingent entered the crowded lobby at the Hyatt Wynfrey Hotel here on Wednesday morning, a cheer arose from a big mass of Alabama fans. The crimson and houndstooth clad Bama fans had been expecting Coach Nick Saban and three of his Crimson Tide players to be the first-arriving group on Day 3 at SEC Media Days.
The fans might have briefly mistaken the Razorbacks for Alabama players on an early morning in July, but there has been little comparison between the two SEC West programs during recent fall Saturdays.
While the Crimson Tide have powered to five national championships in the last 10 years, Arkansas has dropped into the SEC West cellar with two winless league seasons in the last six years, including 2018.
Arkansas Coach Chad Morris was dishing out doses of reality, not dodging the current state of affairs, in his time at the podium at the annual media showcase on Wednesday.
The second-year football coach didn't shy away from the pain of his 2-10 debut season in 2018, and he wasn't painting a picture filled with rainbows for the Razorbacks this fall. He discussed the continued laying of groundwork to build Arkansas back into contention.
"We know this, that in Year 2 as we move forward, the successes that were happening [inside the program] in Year 1 will show up on Saturdays," Morris said.
"And it wasn't fun. It wasn't a lot of fun when you go through tough times like that. But we know that building a program, there's a process that you have to go through. It's not fun. It's not always easy. But it's always necessary."
Morris thinks a postseason bowl bid is a reasonable expectation this season, but he knows the effort it will take to get there is simply another necessary step in the process of building Arkansas into a consistent winner.
"When you look at expectations for Year 2 and wins and losses, I'm not going to put a number on it," Morris said. "I know inside our program, in talking to our seniors and our leaders, they want to leave their legacy.
"And getting this program into the postseason is definitely a goal of ours and it's something we've talked about."
Senior linebacker De'Jon Harris noted the Razorbacks underwent a big transition when Morris took the reins after Bret Bielema's 4-8 final season.
"We've been building since he got here last year," Harris said. "I always respect Coach Morris. It didn't take much for me to buy in."
Senior defensive tackle McTelvin Agim understood the Razorbacks are very likely to be picked last in the SEC again after going 0-8 in conference play and bringing an 11-game league losing streak into the season.
"I understand why we'd be picked at the bottom of the SEC West," Agim said. "I understand why we'd be picked at the bottom of the SEC. We were 2-10.